1. Pats gave up 21 sacks during reg season, gave up 5 vs gmen in Super Bowl, the most of any game this year.2. Season Low 14 pts of offense for Brady and Co.3. NFL Total Access had Super Bowl XXV won by the Giants as the #1 Super Bowl of all time… where do they put Super Bowl XLII??? I know the game did not end on the Burress TD, but considering the Manning to Tyree, the 18-0 Pats, the most lead changes in Q4 of ANY Super Bowl, this one may have to eclipse it. I know it does for me.4. All three Giants Super Bowl victories occurred with us trailing at halftime. (The fact that we are 3-1 in Super Bowls and were trailing in all 4 reminds me of Super Bowl XXXV, which I would rather forget.)5. Let’s acknowledge that Barber’s exit was probably one of the reasons for Coughlin getting grief from Giants Mananagement about poor communication with players, followed by orders to start listening more to his players. And let’s go one step further and realize that Coughlin’s success in this area is a big reason why players ‘bought in’ and played so hard for him. So Tiki was a positive force for change, and might very well be indirectly responsible for some this year’s success.6. Heard a few quotes: ‘Eli the Mann, Brady the Lady’ and ’18 Wins 1 GIANT LOSS”7. Olivia Manning after Peyton was MVP of Super Bowl XLI: “Maybe next year it will be Eli’s turn.” Only a mother could say that. The rest of the football world laughed, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US! Mom was right. You cannot make this stuff up!8. Speaking of Super Bowl Parents, Steve DeOssie met up with son Zak after the game and wept. 1990 ANALOG LIVES!!! 7. Giants fans parade serenade for #92: “One more year!” … for Spags: “Redskins suck!”8. The Giants won the last 3 games by 4, 3 (OT) and 3 points. Had it all the way!

From Dr. Rob at the game:9. Brady had open receivers all day, but the pass rush would not allow him to find most of them.10. Webster and Ross still had pretty decent coverage but Brady was inaccurate. 11. On ‘The Helmet,’ Manning set his feet and threw a very good pass as a result- HE TOOK THE HIT! (ultimatenyg note- Old Eli throws this one off his back feet and does NOT take the hit.)12. Manning has consistently been throwing when there are 8 men in the box and running when there are 7. (Kind of reminds me of the sound fundamentals of Tim Duncan, who is shooting with single and passing with double.)13. On the Tyree TD, at least 2 or 3 players are frozen on play-action and that enables Manning to stick it in vs single coverage.14. On the Smith muff that gets picked off by Hobbs, Ahmad Bradshaw saves a TD because w/o him riding the player out of bounds he has 90 yards of daylight. This is where u have to be at the stadium, because all we see is two slow linemen trying to take the angle.

I thought Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV were sweet. Super Bowl XLII’s victory is beyond anything I could have imagined. It is a figure of speech to ask someone to pinch you when you are having doubts imagining that reality is indeed exceeding anything you could have dreamed about, but I found myself doing that because the win was so surreal. We thought the Giants had a chance, but did any of us truly KNOW that we were going to come out winners tonight?! And when we went ahead 10-7 we thought it was possible. And when it was 3rd and goal for the Patriots at the 8 and a stop forces a possible OT, are we thinking win when Moss gets the TD? There is enough time left, 3 timouts. But can we go down the field? I just saw the replay and it was a Brandon Jacobs falling forward on 4th and 1 or else we are thinking of what could have been. Miracle play after play kept the drive alive. Manning getting out of that sack and then the scramble for….The catch by Tyree on the helmet?!!!! That play was better than Mark Ingram on 3rd and 12 in 1991! I never thought I would hear myself say that. And then the Steve Smith (okay, you are forgiven for the INT) catch for 11 yards and a 1st down. And then Burresssss in the end zone for TD!!! Comfortably NUMB! The rookie Alford sacks Brady to put them in the hail mary and the game is sealed!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!! ELI MANNING GETS A FREE PASS FOR THE REST OF HIS CAREER!!! THE GIANTS ARE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!

1) The Patriots offense is as good as the ’99 Rams, maybe better.2) Tom Brady is one of the best QBs of our generation.3) Bill Belichick is one of the best coaches of our generation.4) The Patriots have too many ways to win a ball game.5) Umenyiora and Burress- talk is cheap.6) A Pats win means the ’72 Dolphins crybabies can finally go away.7) Is Coughlin/Gilbride ready for primetime?

A list of reasons for why the Giants will win the Super Bowl:

1) The Giants played NE already and know what it will take to win.2) Toomer and Strahan: The Giants are here to win the game. 3) You cannot plan a ring. Seau and Barber both get denied.4) The road warriors are on the road.5) Confidence.6) 18-0. The bigger they are the harder they fall. 7) The Patriots defense is the chink in the armor.8) This team is resilient. Bruschi on the gmen: “…incredible mental toughness.”9) 1990 analog.

They are the hot team, so conventional wisdom argues that they want to play this weekend. Nope. Incorrect.

They have been going full throttle for 11 weeks straight with their last 3 obviously on the road, and they could use a ‘home game’ this weekend. I am reminded of the Giants-Ravens Super Bowl 7 years ago. A #1 seed with the bye vs a wild card winner that played 3 playoff games, the last two games on the road. The Ravens needed some rest and (in retrospect) many felt that the week off benefitted the Ravens more. The Steelers also won the Super Bowl after winning 3 wild card games and getting the 2 week layover. So the precedent is there for the wild card winner to benefit more.

The only reason to think it will hurt the Giants is that you believe they will lose their edge and not have that focus which has gotten them into the big game. I can only counter that with a sense that this team is confident and they still feel they have a lot to prove. They know their job is not over by any stretch.

In the meantime, guys like Pierce, O’Hara, Burress, Madison, Ross and McKenzie all played through injuries and they will benefit from an extra week off. Seubert, despite having an MRI on a knee sprain, says he will play. Maybe they can get Dockery back. I do not think this layover does anything but help the gmen. Now if you are going to mention the TMZ report about Brady wearing a boot, his leg would have to be broken in 3 different places in order for him to be out of the Super Bowl if it were being played now, this weekend, or next weekend.